Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).
These words were written as a lament over the suffering of Jerusalem as it fell into the hands of Babylon while its people were forced to flee their homes in search of safety from violence, persecution, slavery, and death.
And yet they are filled with a deep and resounding message of hope. Because of God’s great love, suffering does not consume us. We hold onto that same hope at Jonathan House as we see the circumstances for our asylum seeking friends and neighbors continue to look more dire.
Those living at Jonathan House have suffered a great deal before arriving in the U.S. Our goal is to help them survive and recover from forced displacement, but ongoing changes to immigration policy are having ripple effects for our friends physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Some changes to be aware of that impact our asylum seeking and asylee friends include:
Limited Access to Safe Asylum Routes – Routes to begin an asylum claim have been almost entirely closed off (i.e. no chance to claim asylum at the border, travel bans making it difficult for many to enter for an affirmative case), leaving people in dangerous circumstances. In addition, asylum cases are being dismissed in a few different ways including, but not limited to: expedited removal cases in collusion with ICE and cases where no credible fear interview was scheduled being dismissed due to no fault of the asylum seeking individual.
Increased Fees – New and increased fees have been implemented for asylum seekers to file an application for protection as well as to keep that application active each year. Likewise, new fees are in place in order to file for employment authorization or renewal. In the past, folks could apply for a fee waiver based on financial need which is no longer available to asylum seekers, meaning that regardless of financial situation, they must pay full price.
Ineligibility for Benefits – Asylum seekers and asylees are no longer eligible for federally funded medical benefits including Medicare/Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, or ACA marketplace insurance coverage. Additionally, they are no longer eligible for SNAP cash or food benefits. The child tax credit will no longer be offered to people with the status of asylum seeker. (Click here for more information)
Shifting ICE policies – ICE has increasingly been arresting non-citizens at mandatory court appearances and routine check-ins, including at Fort Snelling, our local court. Additionally, ICE is able to conduct enforcement actions in or near spaces that were previously considered “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, and schools.
Federal Funding Cuts – Several of our partner organizations where residents receive services such as English lessons, mental health therapy, case management, educational and employment services and more have been hit by federal funding cuts and forced to downsize or eliminate programs.
Direct Impact – With very sad hearts, we share that for the first time earlier this month, a former resident of Jonathan House was detained by ICE and deported back to their home country. We hope this is the first and last time something like this will happen to a dear member of our community, but uncertainty continues to grow.
As you can imagine, the combination of all of these setbacks deepens the sense of fear and uncertainty that residents feel and leads them on a slower track to long term stability. Our friends are at the end of the road with nowhere else to go. So what are we doing about all this?
First, we continue to offer hope. Because we are followers of Jesus, we hold hope in all things and we do our very best to carry that hope for those who cannot find it on their own. Second, we continue to move forward as usual providing practical and emotional support to residents through the Jonathan House program. Third, we are turning to our community to help us cover additional costs residents are facing due to increased fees and loss of benefits.
IAFR as an organization is designed to be flexible and to move with the changing tides of forced displacement. As a program, Jonathan House is no different, so in addition to the above, we are updating our strategy to adjust to the shifting landscape in which we find ourselves.
Your support means more to us now than ever. We are grateful to God that so far the residents at Jonathan House and our program as a whole have been doing well. However, we ask for your continued prayer and support as we seek to be faithful with what is in front of us. If you are interested, click below to read through our updated strategic plan or visit our giving page to stand with us financially as we love and welcome our asylum seeking neighbors.